Madras High Court questions State on providing horizontal reservation for transgender persons in government jobs
The Madras High Court has directed the Tamil Nadu government to clarify its stance on implementing horizontal reservation for transgender persons in government jobs. The court cited the Karnataka government's model as a potential precedent for ensuring equitable access to civil services.
Why it matters
This legal development is significant for the inclusion of transgender individuals in public sector employment and the broader discourse on reservation policies.
The Madras High Court, on Wednesday (July 15, 2026), granted time till August 4 for the Tamil Nadu government to spell out whether it intends to provide horizontal reservation of one or two per cent for transgender candidates in all civil services and government jobs.
Second Division Bench of Justices S.M. Subramaniam and N. Senthilkumar gave the time after being informed the Government of Karnataka had provided 1% horizontal reservation for the transgender persons in all civil services and government jobs and that Tamil Nadu government could follow suit.
The submissions were made during the hearing of a writ appeal filed by the State government in 2024 against Justice V. Bhavani Subbaroyan’s (since retired) order directing the government to treat the transgender candidates as a special category entitled for horizontal reservation.
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